Waiting on the Old 97's to start their set at Austin City Limits 2008, a little band from Georgia called Drive-By Truckers took the stage to warm up the crowd. Little did I know that an hour later I would have begun a love affair that would build on itself over the course of two years.

DBT have been creating and releasing music since 1998 and their newest release, The Big To-Do is possibly a defining moment in their career. The Truckers have made a name for themselves as an alternative country group as they've toured all across the states with a number of different acts, but taking the southern-drawled vocals out of the mix, The Big To-Do is a by-the-book rock album.

"Daddy Learned to Fly" starts you off easy with a nice alternative riff. After ten seconds, I thought I had accidentally hit play on a Foo Fighters record. "The Fourth Night of My Drinking" brought that Tom-Petty-meets-Tripping-Daisy groove that I've come to love form Drive-By Truckers. It's a calmer track that leads you to think that the band has taken the edge off for the new record...

Then comes "Birthday Boy" (available for free download here), packed with hard-hitting melodies that let you know that this is going to be a rock-and-roll roadtrip. "Drag the Lake Charlie" brings complexity by layering organs and fuzzy guitars like a track off of Sgt. Pepper. "The Wig He Made Her Wear" is a great storyteller song full of some funky rhythms and a catchy tune.

The album takes a turn with "You Got Another", when bassist Shonna Tucker steps up to the mic. It's the kind of jam that makes you feel like you're in a church. Just as you're caught up in the angelic hymn, you're dirtied up again by the pent-up aggression and brutal harmonies in "This Fucking Job." Segue into "Get Downtown" - A smokey bar, blues guitar, piano rocking, biscuits and grits southern rock anthem.

"After the Scene Dies" tells the story of a road-worn band while "(It's Gonna Be) I Told You So" and "Santa Fe" calm things down a bit and let the slowmo-swing shine. "The Flying Wallendas" is a beautiful couples'-dance song filled with ebbs and flows. The pairing of banjos and organs with a fantastic build at the end is a seamless climax to the album. Bringing it home are the acoustic guitar and a Wurlitzer in the beautiful lullaby "Eyes Like Glue."

After over a decade packed full of major releases, it's strange to say that it's a good time to start listening to a band, but if you've not heard Drive-By Truckers yet, The Big To-Do is a great jumping-off point. The album hits shelves March 16 and can be ordered in CD, digital download, vinyl, and deluxe formats on the band's website.

A couple weeks ago, I reached out on Twitter to ask if I were to spin the new Adam Lambert and Lady Gaga albums, if anyone would read the reviews. By that time, people had lost their taste for a little Glambert action, but everyone responded well to the idea of seeing what I had to say about The Fame Monster. 

Music that is tailored to the radio masses isn't usually my cup of tea. I simply don't have respect for artists that don't write their own music, auto-tune their voices, or simply spend more time choreographing their tour than writing their album. In an attempt to be an objective blogger, I'm setting all of my top-40 fears aside for this one.

Lady Gaga is young in her career and already known for being "big." Big sound, big shows, and big attitude are the name of the game here. There hasn't been an artist in a very long time that's pulled this off quite as well since - brace yourself - Madonna.

Sure, we've had some valiant attempts over the years. Britney, Christina, you know the ones. They've had enormous commercial success, grandiose tour sets, and a little bit of edge. The thing that they've really lacked is maturity. There's a strict difference from someone trying to convince me that she's "not that innocent" and someone who starts off her album by telling me that she wants my "vertical vertigo stick."

Yes, mixed in with the palatable and typical dance themes of a pop album are the really strong sexual themes in The Fame Monster. From men eating her heart (and brains) to not remembering who she slept with the night before, this is an album that a 13-year-old girl will listen to and love, though not understand. On the other hand, it's packed with lyrics that are a little more road worn, Jim Morrison style. 

Of course there are the few "wtf" moves on the album, like "Alejandro" - a song clearly written for how the words sound, not what they say - or the show-tune sound of "Teeth." Luckily, those are overshadowed by little gems like "Speechless," a Beatles-esque song that sounds like it could be a James Bond movie theme.

Beyonce even appears on the album in "Telephone" - a song that will clearly be the second single from the album. 

From beginning to end, this album is a trip. I'm not sure that it'll stay in regular rotation for me, but listening was certainly enough to garnish a little respect for Lady Gaga and might even get me out to a show. Every generation needs someone like this that will do what has already been done but well enough to withstand the test of time. Bonus points for a come-and-go fake British accent. Even if you're not a pop fan, snag this album for your collection. I'm pegging it at a B+.

Weezer and I go way back. I was nine years old when The Blue Album came out and still remember watching the Spike-Jonze-directed Happy Days video for "Buddy Holly" in my grandparents' living room, since we didn't have cable. They've written "an album or two" since then and are back with a new release, Raditude.

The first time I took this album for a spin, I absolutely hated it. I actually texted Dan about it, realizing that it would be my first negative review for AudioADD. After a second listen, I can think in terms of albums they've done in the past. There are some solid tracks, and some that just plain don't work. Here's my rundown:

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Rarely do you come across a band as "out there" as The Flaming Lips. The Oklahoma City natives have made a name for themselves with elaborate costumes, puppets, balloons, and confetti during their live shows. Their raucous sounds and disturbing lyrics can be off-putting, but a few more listens and it garners the respect it deserves. 

The latest release from the Lips is titled Embryonic and is their first double-album. In fact, The Flaming Lips may be the first band ever to release their first quadruple-album before their first double-album. Beginning-to-end,Embryonic is less produced, but no less complex than their previous work. Here's a breakdown of what I heard:

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If you're a regular AudioADD reader, you probably know by now that (for me) I have a very finicky way of categorizing music. I compare bands to other bands, poke fun at bands for being too much like other bands, and chastise bands for not being enough like themselves. La Roux have proven to me that originality still exists, even within a been-there-done-that genre.

Over the past year or two, I've listened to a lot of electronic/synth-pop music. What started with an obsession with Daft Punk blossomed into a love for Cut Copy, and interest in Hot Chip, and a reason to listen to Cobra Starship. It's an exploding area of music that seems to be more and more redundant. With every new record sounding so much like another out the week before, I was beginning to tire of it all.

As a last-chance purchase, I picked up the debut album from a British duo named La Roux. If this album didn't strike my fancy, I was going to shelf the genre for a while. As it turns out, I ended up loading my iPod with more than I had on it before.

What's so interesting about La Roux is that they're not reinventing the wheel. The sound throughout the album is genuinely 80's. (To be honest, I was half-expecting a secret-track cover of "Warm Leatherette" at the end). I'm so used to the 808's and Roland synth sounds being turned into house music that I almost forgot what they sounded like in what we used to refer to as "pop".

I'm not going to review this album track-by-track because it's probably someone you've never heard, and with a debut album you have to experience it by listening to it on your own for the first time. I'm not even going to rate this album, because I feel it's necessary for you to form your own opinion. All I have to say is jump on iTunes and snag a copy. It's worth the $8.